


From the Earth

by tablrcloth



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Banter, Character Death In Dream, Confrontations, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Insane Wilbur Soot, Mentioned Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Mentioned Wilbur Soot, Moving On, Nightmares, Not Canon Compliant, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Realization, Rebuilding, Sad with a Happy Ending, Sparring, Teasing, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 10:29:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28652031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tablrcloth/pseuds/tablrcloth
Summary: L'manberg is gone, for the third and final time. And this time, they're moving on.They're moving back to Pogtopia for their fresh start.
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity & Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, Alexis | Quackity & TommyInnit, Floris | Fundy & Niki | Nihachu, Floris | Fundy & Niki | Nihachu & Ranboo, Floris | Fundy & Ranboo, Niki | Nihachu & Ranboo, No Romantic Relationship(s), Ranboo & Toby Smith | Tubbo, Ranboo & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit
Comments: 6
Kudos: 397





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> writing about the characters of the dream smp, not the creators! if any featured creators are uncomfortable, i will take this down immediately.
> 
> just wanted to process some stuff, expect one more chapter soon (like today or tomorrow) :)
> 
> enjoy da read!

The setting is dim, just like the closing curtain on a stage after a play. Dark clouds line the shadowed horizon, and smoke and ash clog the air, but the lights don’t turn on, and the show’s not over.

_ The show’s not over,  _ Tommy thinks, and he stares down at the ruins of L’manberg. It looks like a battlefield, and he supposes that’s what it is; a ruined land of marred ideals, the scarred landscape never allowed to repair. And as Tommy gazes down into the crater, he realizes he feels... nothing. The first time L’manberg had blown up, it had hurt. So, so badly. He had lost so utterly and completely it was nothing short of depressing. A country he gave up everything for that didn’t want him anymore, and it blew up, everything reduced to rubble in its wake. His  _ own father, _ coming home and killing his brother for the final time.

Now, it’s happened again, and Tommy has nothing left.   


The sun sets on L’manberg, and soon Tubbo and Quackity approach him. He looks up at them, and their faces are grim, but not devastated. They all knew this was coming, whether they liked it or not. It would have happened sooner or later, with all their enemies promising war, and the promise was finally fulfilled.   


“What do we do now?” Tommy asks, because really, he has no idea. In the past, he would have gone straight for his discs, but he’s not sure anymore.

“I say we make a new home,” Tubbo says, glancing between Tommy and Quackity. “I guess. Not a nation, just... something new.”   


“Where do you think that’ll be?” Quackity says, laughing emptily. “No one’s on our side. We’re against Dream and Techno, and they rule significant parts of the server. We’d have to be far out, right?”   


“I know a place,” Tommy says grimly, and points beyond Eret’s tower, one of the few things that managed to survive, right at the railroad to Pogtopia. He turns to look at Tubbo and Quackity, who nod at him.   


“Not  _ in _ Pogtopia, surely?” Tubbo asks, and Tommy shakes his head.   


“I was thinking houses on the land by the tower. I don’t- I can’t stay in the ravine again. I-” his voice cracks and he stops talking, looking down at the ground. He doesn’t want to think about Wilbur, not now.   


He feels a comforting hand on his shoulder and he looks back up. Tubbo’s hand is resting on him, and he offers a consoling smile that Tommy gladly returns.   


“Is there anything we need before we go?” Quackity asks, and Tubbo looks down at the crater.   


“Well, this isn’t the first time I’ve had nothing. I bet we could figure it out.”   


“It’s still nighttime,” Tommy points out, crossing his arms and looking past his feet at the rubble. “What would we do about mobs?”   


“Do you have supplies in your old house?” Tubbo asks him, and Tommy pauses to think.   


“I have a storage room I never finished making, we could check in there,” Tommy says, arms falling to his sides as he turns from the edge of the crater to walk up the ruined staircase.   


“Wait, is that-” he hears from behind him, and turns to see Tubbo pointing at the other side of the prime path. A group of people, sitting and talking, previously hidden from view.  _ Hold on, that’s- _   


“Ranboo!” Tommy calls, his pace turning into a jog, and the enderman hybrid looks up at him.   


“Tommy,” Ranboo says formally, standing up and brushing off his black suit jacket, now turned gray from the soot and dust. “Are you okay?”   


“Yeah, I’m fine-” Tommy pauses his talking and looks behind Ranboo. He can see Eret, Niki, Puffy, Fundy, and Jack. Why hadn’t they walked over and talked to him? From the glare Niki is shooting him, he  realizes he doesn’t want to ask.   


“Tubbo and Quackity and me are going to Pogtopia,” he says bluntly, turning his attention back to Ranboo. “Come with?”   


He frowns when Ranboo hesitates, before the other boy starts speaking. “Pogtopia? Wasn’t that the underground- thing?”   


“Yes, it was the underground thing. Come with?” he prompts again.   


“I don’t- I dunno. I mean...” Ranboo gestures behind him at the rest of the people. “What about them?”   


“I don’t see why they couldn’t join us,” Tubbo jumps in, stepping next to Tommy. “It’s not like a closed club. Anyone can come with.”   


Ranboo brings a hand to his chin, contemplating. “Eh? Eh?” Tommy asks, spreading his hands out with a grin.   


“This is just a community, right? Not a- not a nation?” Ranboo asks, his hand dropping. Tubbo crosses his arms assertively and speaks.   


“Just a community. I don’t want a repeat, of- well.” Tubbo gestures to the crater, making his point extremely clear.   


“Fundy?” Ranboo asks quietly, turning to look at the fox hybrid sitting on the ground. Fundy looks up at him, eyebrow raised. “I don’t think I’m going to Dry Waters.”   


“What?” Fundy demands, standing up quickly. “But you said-”

“I’ll visit, I promise, just- yeah.”   


Tommy’s gaze shifts to Niki as she stands up too, taking a step forward. “You’re putting Tommy over us?”   


“I’m not putting anyone over anything,” Ranboo snaps, and Tommy sees Tubbo recoil from his peripherals. Ranboo’s tone of voice is one Tommy had never heard used by him, and Tommy feels faintly surprised.

“Why’s it such a big deal?” Tommy asks, stepping forward at Niki. “If you’re mad about it, just come with.”   


“No,” Niki yells at him, anger directed toward Tommy now. “We’re never joining you.”   


“What?” Tubbo asks, just as Tommy says, “Why?”   


“You’re just gonna rope us into some stupid war again, and we’re gonna die and not come back!” she shouts, thrusting a finger forward at him, and Tommy takes a startled step back. “We’re not going to fight for you- we’re not going to  _ die!” _

“I never- well- you don’t-” Tommy is left speechless, unable to defend himself, but his hurt comes through well enough. Niki stands back, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes. It’s clear to him she doesn’t feel bad about her words; it’s clear she  _ means  _ it.

Tommy exhales, and turns and walks away.   


“Tommy?” Tubbo asks, but Tommy doesn’t pay attention, just keeps walking away, past the ice cream stand and the hole-riddled hills of El Rapids. “Tommy, stop!”   


He freezes in his tracks, no longer walking, just breathing deeply, in and out, and Tubbo catches up to him, stepping in front of him and staring at his face. Tommy doesn’t look at him.   


“Please, Tommy,” Tubbo says, and he grabs his hand. “Don’t give up yet.”   


Tommy laughs at that, a harsh, dry bark of a laugh, as though he can’t quite believe it, and his expression softens when he sees Tubbo flinch. “Oh, I won’t give up. This won’t stop til I’m dead.”   


“Let’s hope it won’t come to that,” Tubbo says, and he doesn’t let go of his hand.   


“You’re holding on a bit tight there.”   


“Wh- oh,  _ oh.  _ Sorry.” Tubbo lets go of his hand, then looks beyond Tommy. “Are we still going to your old house?”   


“Not worth it,” Tommy says, crossing his arms and turning. He can see Ranboo and Quackity standing behind him, but he looks past him to the hill with the broken road held inside it. “I didn’t have much anyways. Poor, y’know,” he adds with a slight smile.

“Well,” Tubbo huffs. “On to Pogtopia, I guess. Anything you guys want?” he says to Ranboo and Quackity.   


“I lost everything,” Ranboo says with a chuckle, and Tommy turns to look at Quackity, who’s nodding. “I don’t have anything either.”   


“I guess we’re going now, then,” Tubbo says, and he turns to gaze at the railroad. “Off we go.”   


Tubbo leads the way, walking down the path through Party Park and climbing up the hill to El Rapids and Boomerville, until they reach the cobblestone railway.   


“Any minecarts on hand?” Tommy asks, and when everyone shakes their heads he sighs. “Worth a try to ask. Guess we’re walking.”   


“Well, what do we talk about?” Tubbo prods, and Tommy turns to look at him.   


“What, the weather?” he asks, and Ranboo laughs. “Ohh, it’s night, ohh, I think there’s clouds.”   


Tubbo bursts into laughter, holding a fist to his mouth to contain his giggles. “Stop making fun of me!”   


“Or what?”   


“Might exile you again.”   


“Oh, shut up,” Tommy says, crossing his arms, and Tubbo drops his hand.   


“Sorry.”   


Tommy looks at him with a frown, brow furrowed. “‘Sorry’?”   


“Well, you know,” Tubbo says, with an unnecessary flail of his arms. “For everything.”   


“Huh,” Tommy says, still rather confused, and they walk in silence after that until Ranboo speaks.   


“Was it a good thing?”   


“Was what a good thing?” Tubbo asks, looking back at him, and the boy shrugs.   


“L’manberg blowing up.”   


“No,” Tommy says immediately, just as Tubbo says, “I don’t know.”

“What the hell?” Tommy asks him, who just looks at him guiltily.   


“Well, you know- don’t you ever think about- maybe if Wilbur was right?”   


“Nope,” Tommy says definitively, crossing his arms. “He wasn’t.”

“I want to know your perspectives,” Quackity offers from behind them. “You knew him the best.”   


“There’s only one perspective,” Tommy retorts. “Wilbur decides he wants to blow up L’manberg, ‘cause he’s selfish. He hurts everyone. And then Techno hurts  _ me _ , so of course it was wrong for L’manberg to blow up.”   


“You know,” Tubbo says thoughtfully. “Before Phil left, he told me about- about what happened in the room.”   


Tommy winces, immediately understanding what Tubbo was talking about, before he continues. “He said- he told me Wilbur said that L’manberg  _ was  _ a special place, but it wasn’t anymore. And these past few weeks I was thinking about that.

“It’s kind of obvious L’manberg is super different from what it used to be, when Wilbur was president. I think that was the best time for L’manberg, when we weren’t all politics, when we were just a group of people. Our original ideals were peace and freedom, and then- well, it’s easy to say we lost sight of that,” he ends with a chuckle. “Maybe that’s what Wilbur wanted. A hard restart.”   


Tommy is staring down at the ground, arms folded as he continues walking. “It’s just- that was- that was the last thing I had left of him,” and his voice fades to a whisper. “I don’t know why it had to come to  this.”   


“Hey,” Tubbo says softly, resting a hand on his shoulder again. “L’manberg was never a place, we knew that. It wasn’t even much of a people. It was an idea. Ideas carry on! And- well, as long as we have that idea, then Wilbur’s still here, isn’t he?”   


“I guess,” Tommy mumbles.

“Wait,” Quackity says, and everyone stops walking to stare at him. Tommy realizes the pine trees have long since faded into oak and birch, and he can see the turns coming up in the road, and just a bit further where the road dips down into the hill. “Where’s Ghostbur?”   


“Oh,” Tubbo says, hand falling to his side, and he glances around. “Uh-”   


“We lost Ghostbur too?” Ranboo frets. “Where could he be?”   


“He’s a ghost, he’s not dying,” Tommy points out. “We could- we can search for him later, can’t we?”   


“I agree,” Tubbo says, crossing his arms. “Ghostbur will be fine, but we won’t if we go back now. Settle down for the night first, then leave in the morning.”   


“Do you even think he’s still there?” Ranboo wonders aloud, and Tommy laughs.   


“What do you mean?”   


“What if he left?”   


“He would have joined me and Tubbo,” Tommy says assuredly. “He wouldn’t leave.”   


“If he was going to join you, why isn’t he here?” Ranboo fires back, but Tommy doesn’t have a good response to that, so he just keeps his mouth shut and walks down the decline in the road before sharply  turning and continuing into the tunnel.   


“This is Pogtopia,” Tubbo says from behind him, and watches him point down the tunnel to where it sharply curves in the corners of his visions. “It wasn’t much, but... it was something.”

Tommy walks faster than the rest of them, continuing past the curve and into the ravine, immediately spinning around and taking it all in. The first thing he notices is the lack of lighting; Pogtopia was  _ dark.  _ If  Tommy squinted, he could see cobwebs beginning to grow in the crooks of the ceiling, and somewhere in the distance he hears water flowing. The thing that stuck out the most, though, was that it just looked... abandoned. He supposes that fact is true, no one had entered Pogtopia since the final war, but it still filled him with a strange type of sadness he couldn’t explain. Why was he even sad? He  _ hated  _ Pogtopia, he hated exile, he hated Wil-

_ Do you, though? _   


“Wow, this place is a dump,” he hears Tubbo say behind him, and he jumps slightly, turning to look at him. Tubbo’s also looking around, until he points to something behind Tommy. “Look, the potato farm.”   


Tommy scowls and turns to stare at it; a doorway in stone that led to an excavated farm. He walks toward it and steps through, looking at Tubbo’s redstone machinery and the wilted plants in the soil. Long untended and long forgotten.  _ Good riddance _ .

“You lived like this?” He hears Ranboo say, and he snorts.   


“Yeah. Not much, I know.” Tommy turns around and walks back out, putting his hands on his hips.   


“Do you think the upstairs room still has supplies?” Quackity asks, and Tubbo puts a hand to his chin.   


“Maybe, but I’m not sure if it got ransacked. There’s chests there too,” he says, pointing to Tommy’s right at a collection of beaten up chests pressed up against the rock wall.   


“What’s up here?” Ranboo calls, and when everyone turns to look at him he’s standing on the second level, overlooking the ravine from a cobblestone pathway. Tommy’s breath catches in his throat when he sees the signs in front of Ranboo, and he jogs up the staircase to read them.   


_ The Plan Zone,  _ he reads, and as his eyes scan over the rest of the text his heart aches. The day these were written was the day he lost everything. And now, he’s lost it all again.

“Oh, these were from... November 16th,” Quackity says hesitantly, and Tommy nods slightly.

“Tubbo...” he starts to say, then falters.   


“Yeah?”   


“I hated this place. So why do I feel sad about it?”

His question is met with silence, and Tommy turns. Tubbo’s watching him carefully, Quackity standing a bit further back.

“I- I don’t know,” Tubbo admits, looking down and scuffing a foot against the ground. “I guess you have to figure that out for yourself.”   


“Is it because of Wilbur?” Ranboo asks, and Tommy looks at him, confused, before the weight of it hits him.   


_ “Then let’s be the bad guys. Our nation’s gone, our nation’s far behind us. Let’s blow that country to smithereens. I say if we can’t have Manberg, NO ONE! NO ONE, can have Manberg!” _

“I don’t know,” Tommy says quietly, before straightening and walking up the staircase. “I don’t want to be here anymore.”

He can hear the three muttering between themselves, but he doesn’t pay attention; he doesn’t really want to anyway. Tommy just trudges up the stairs slowly, trying to focus on the buttons on the walls and not the complicated thoughts churning in his brain.

His head pops up above the stairs, and he looks around. The small room he remembers digging out of the dirt is open to the world now, half of the roof missing and exposed to the night sky, and just beyond the trees he can see the cobblestone tower he built, and the big sign spelling  _ L’ear. _ Maybe he should take them down.

_ Project for another day,  _ he decides, fully walking up the stairs and taking a careful step through the room until his shoes scuff against soft grass.   


“We can reclaim this,” he mutters, walking forward and crouching on the shoreline, staring into the water at his reflection. “A fresh start.”

“Hey,” a quiet voice says behind him, and he looks up. Ranboo is watching him, wringing his hands nervously. “Tommy, I had a question.”   


“What is it?” Tommy asks, standing up straight.

“Do you hate me?”   


Tommy laughs and crosses his arms. “Why would I hate you?”   


“Well, I just thought with- with Dream, he called me a traitor, and- well.”   


“You’re not a traitor, Ranboo,” Tommy says, unfolding his arms and looking back at the water. “Hell, if you’re a traitor, I’m one too. All you ever did was be friends with me. Stuff shouldn’t be decided just on that.”   


Tommy sees Ranboo’s shoulders drop in his peripherals, but he keeps talking. “Your loyalty to L’manberg- that was never a thing that mattered. I wasn’t much loyal to L’manberg anymore, either, not really. But you stayed true to your friends,” he finishes, looking up at Ranboo, whose gaze is searching his face. “That’s what matters, innit?”   


“Yeah,” Ranboo says, chuckling softly. “Guess you’re right.”   


“Wanna set up camp with me?” Tommy asks, changing the subject and pointing across the river to the tower. “I was thinking just for the night we stay in the tower, gather our supplies, sleep off the night. Y’know.” He laughs. “Basic survival things.”   


“Never thought I’d have to do this again,” Ranboo admits, rubbing the back of his neck. “But yeah. Let’s do it.”   


Tommy smiles at him, then looks back in the direction of L’manberg. Even though it was gone, the country that meant so much reduced to nothing, the  _ last thing _ he had left of his brother, he  _ knew- _ he knew he could carry on.


	2. Chapter 2

_“Please, Wilbur, don’t- don’t give it all up yet!” Tommy laughs anxiously, the walls of the ravine looming around them. When Wilbur turns to him his face is broken, cracked like a porcelain doll, crumbled around the edges and so completely wrong. “You don’t have to do this.”_ _  
_

_“Don’t test me, TommyInnit,” Wilbur says, leaning forward, and the hot breath Tommy can feel on his cheeks is uncomfortably real. “Everything you love, everything you care about? What does it matter anymore?”_ _  
_

_Tommy can feel his head shaking. “No, no, you don’t- stop it, STOP IT!”_ _  
_

_“Why?” Wilbur’s head tilts so unnaturally, a sardonic smile on his face, and Tommy turns, hands covering his ears and squeezing his eyes shut._ _  
_

_“Just- just- stop HURTING ME!”_ _  
_

_When Tommy opens his eyes again, the setting is changed from Pogtopia to Manberg. He’s standing on a building that Tommy doesn’t know the use for, but he remembers it, and Wilbur is next to him. When he looks back down from Wilbur, he sees Techno, a rocket launcher in his grip aimed straight at Tubbo’s face, and Tommy screams himself hoarse as Techno fires rocket after rocket, laughing maniacally. He’s not even sorry, he doesn’t even care, and-_ _  
_

_When Tommy throws the ender pearl down at the podium, he doesn’t see Tubbo’s corpse laying there anymore, it’s_ Wilbur’s, _and he chokes, horrified. Where did Tubbo go, why was Wilbur dead,_ what happened? _  
_

_“Sorry it had to come to this, old friend,” he hears behind him, and he spins, Tubbo staring straight at him, scars from a blade instead of an explosion riddling his face. “TommyInnit, you are hereby exiles from L’manberg. Just leave, and STAY OUT!”_ _  
_

Tommy wakes up in a sweat, lunging forward so violently he tips and falls out of his bed. He wrestles in the blanket hysterically on the ground, until he realizes where he is.

 _You’re fine,_ he thinks, forcing himself to calm as he rips the blanket away and throws it back on the cot. He stands up, looking around. _You’re in Pogtopia. Wilbur can’t hurt you anymore._

Tommy exhales deeply, straightening his posture and stepping outside the tower. It’s morning, he realizes as he squints at the sky. He’s glad for it; if he went back to bed, he’s not sure what his sleep would look like. Nightmares were common for him, but he hadn’t dreamt of Tubbo’s execution in so long...

“Hey, Sleeping Beauty!” he hears from his right, and he turns to see Quackity sitting next to a campfire, waving at him. It looks like he set up a grate over the fire, cooking what he thinks are sausages on top.

“Where’d you even get that?” Tommy asks, pointing at the iron grate and taking a seat on Quackity’s log, watching the food roast.

“Got up early this morning and made it,” Quackity says with a shrug. “Couldn’t sleep.”

Tommy chuckles at that. “Yeah, me either.”

“Yeah, I heard you,” Quackity says nonchalantly, poking the fire with a stick. The smile drops off Tommy’s face, and he looks straight at the other man, leaning forward a bit.

“What?”

“You were muttering in your sleep,” he continues, looking up at Tommy softly. “Don’t worry, I don’t judge. I’ve got my fair share of nightmares.”

“What- what was I saying?”

“Just talking about Wilbur,” Quackity says with a shrug. Tommy looks back down at the fire, and opens his mouth to speak but hesitates.

“Quackity, I- you asked for our perspectives on everything yesterday, but you never gave your own. I just- what do you think?”

“What do _I_ think?” he asks, looking at Tommy, before slowly pulling the sausages from off the grill and onto a plate, chuckling guiltily. “Hm. Truth be told, I think... I lost sight of a lot of stuff. I should have focused less on what L’manberg could do for me and more on what L’manberg could do for others. I was so focused on power, I- if I hadn’t done a lot of stuff, things would have been different.” 

“Well, that’s what this is for, right?” Tommy asks, and Quackity looks up at him. “Things are different now.”

Quackity huffs a laugh. “Guess so. Just wish it hadn’t come to this. What I wish I could have done the most, though- I wish I would’ve focused more on my friends, and not power. I’m sorry for not seeing what was happening with you earlier.”

“What?” Tommy asks, confused, and Quackity just smiles sadly just as Ranboo and Tubbo step out of the tower and wave at them.

“I made sausages,” Quackity calls, acting as though their conversation never happened, and Tommy slowly turns his head from Quackity to the others.

“Do we just eat them with our bare hands?” Tubbo asks, and Quackity starts wheezing.

“What, like a caveman?”

“Umba gumba,” Tommy utters gutturally, and everyone bursts into laughter.

“I guess we do eat them with our hands, unless you want to poke it with a stick,” Quackity says, holding out the plate, and everyone reaches out to take two.

Breakfast that day is lighthearted, with Tubbo and Tommy teasing each other, Ranboo and Quackity occasionally sliding in jokes. When Tommy’s done eating, he stands up and looks at everyone.

“What’s our game plan for today?” he asks, and Tubbo yelps excitedly.

“I say houses! I want to build houses. Or at least, just one. For now.”

“We still need other supplies,” Ranboo points out. “We should make a farm.”

“Is that it?” Tommy asks, turning to Quackity, who nods. “A farm and houses. Tubbo and I can collect wood and stone, you two go get animals and seeds.”

“We found supplies in Pogtopia,” Ranboo says, nodding. “We’ve got seeds already. Quackity, do you want to get animals?”

“Hell no,” Quackity says, wheezing. “I suck at that.”

“Alright,” Ranboo says, laughing. “You can till dirt and plant the seeds, then. I’ll get animals.”

“Sounds like a plan!” Tubbo says, clapping his hands together before looking down in disgust. “Aw, Big Q, I’ve got grease on my hands!”

“Clean up in the river, then, I’m not your mom,” Quackity retorts with a laugh. Tommy laughs too, and everyone stands up.

“How ‘bout we meet back here in... say, two hours?” Tubbo guesses. “Check our progress.”

“Sounds good,” Ranboo says, flashing a thumbs up, and Tommy nods. He turns and splits off, walking into the tower and opening a chest, searching for iron and sticks.

“I do stone, you do trees,” Tubbo says from beside him, and Tommy jumps.

“Jeez!” he shouts, and Tubbo bursts into laughter, before reaching into the chest and plucking out two sticks and some iron for him. “Stop sneaking up on me like that.”

“Yeah, keep whining,” Tubbo teases, pushing him lightheartedly as he makes his way over to the crafting bench.

“A pickaxe and an axe will do,” Tommy says, crossing his arms and looking up at the sky while Tubbo works. The sound of banging starts to echo around the tower as Tubbo hammers out tools, and Tommy looks back down when an axe is presented to him.

“I’ll mine out stone where we used to,” Tubbo explains, standing up. “In that ravine that crossed Pogtopia.”

“Yeah, I remember,” Tommy says with a chuckle, taking the axe and gripping it in his hands. “I’ll be above you.”

“I’d say shout if you need me, but I don’t think you’d hear me,” Tubbo says wryly, and Tommy chuckles again before they walk out of the tower and across the river to the entrance of the ravine.

“Well, see you,” Tubbo says, saluting and walking down the staircase. Tommy watches him go, before he turns and looks around. Ranboo has disappeared, probably off herding animals, and Quackity is across the river by the shore, tilling dirt.

 _I can work with this,_ he thinks, and walks to the nearest tree, beginning to chop it down.

Tommy isn’t aware of how much time passes as he continues chopping trees. It’s a comforting, repetitive thing. Swing, chop, swing, chop, until the tree falls down and he moves onto the next. By the time

Quackity approaches him, he must have felled ten.

“Wanna take a break?” Quackity offers, and Tommy rests his axe on the ground, leaning against it.

“Sure,” he huffs, out of breath, and wipes the sweat off his brow. “Do we have clean water?”

“No, but I hear boiling water gets rid of bacteria.”

“Then that’s _hot_ water,” Tommy scoffs. “What kind of person drinks hot water?” 

“Every time you speak I get angry,” Quackity deadpans, before his face breaks into a grin and the two laugh. He walks away and jumps over the river, calling over his shoulder, “Would you rather have hot water or dysentery?”

“Dysentery, like from that one game?”

“It’s not-” Quackity loudly groans and turns away, disappearing inside the tower. Tommy laughs loudly and pointedly, just so Quackity hears, and crosses the river, feet trudging through the water. He could have hopped over it, but the chill feels nice against his hot skin.

Tommy steps out of the water and onto the grass, wiping his face once more, his exhaustion hitting him like a brick. Maybe he should take a break for ten minutes, he’s feeling hungry anyway.

The sound of talking makes Tommy’s head jerk up, and he whips to the side, searching through the trees. He can see two people approaching through the foliage, and he takes a step forward, eyes flaring. There’s no way Techno and Dream found him, right? What did they want with him, why would they-

“Hello?” he calls, just as Fundy and Niki step through the treeline. His alert posture relaxes, and he steps forward again. “Hey, guys-”

Tommy’s voice falters when he sees their faces morph from eased to angry, and he takes a tiny step back.

“Where’s Ranboo?” Fundy asks, and he opens his mouth to answer when he hears, “What are you guys doing here?”

They look to the left, seeing Ranboo clutching several leads, a few sheep flocking around him. He looks startled, as though he wasn’t expecting to see the pair here, although Tommy wasn’t either.

“Ranboo!” Fundy says grandly, a wide smile on his face. “Could we- talk in private?”

“Um,” Ranboo hesitates, casting a glance to Tommy. “Where?”

“Tower works,” Niki decides, and Tommy turns to look at the tower. Quackity is standing in the doorway, having heard the commotion; upon seeing Tommy staring at him, he mutters, “I’ll get Tubbo,” and dashes across the river into Pogtopia.

“Uh- alright,” Ranboo says, and Tommy hops over the river to hold the leads in Ranboo’s stead. Ranboo nods at him, before he crosses the river and steps into the tower, Niki and Fundy following suit.

“What the hell do I do with you?” Tommy asks, turning to look down at the sheep clustered around him, who all stare at him expectantly.

“Tommy?” he hears, and he looks to his right, seeing Tubbo emerging from the staircase, Quackity behind him. “What’s going on?”

“Niki and Fundy are here, and they’re talking to Ranboo in the tower. He got sheep, by the way,” Tommy adds, holding up the leads.

“Well, it’s private then, I guess,” Tubbo says, frowning. “We should make a pen for these guys.”

“Where’d you put all the stone?” Tommy asks, and Tubbo pulls his hand forward, cobblestone appearing in his hands with a flash of blue light.

“Inventory. How much wood did you get?”

“Two stacks,” Tommy answers, putting his hands on his hips. “More than enough for fences.”

“Let’s get to work, then!” Quackity laughs, and everyone grins.

* * *

Tubbo looks down at the sheep pen, then crouches over the gate to pet one. “Their wool is so fluffy!” he exclaims, and he can hear Tommy cackle behind him. He turns to glare at him.

“What?” Tommy says, laughing more. “It’s funny!”

“How is that funny?” Tubbo asks, but he’s giggling too.

“What n-” Quackity starts, but a shout stops him. Everyone looks up, smiles falling off their faces as Ranboo storms out of the tower and across the river toward the forest with a murderous expression, pulling out an axe and swinging at a random tree aggressively.

“What on earth?” Tommy mutters, watching as Fundy and Niki step out of the tower, scowls on their faces as well.

“What did you guys do?” Quackity calls, frowning as he looks between the two separated groups. Fundy just snarls and walks back into the tower. Tubbo gapes at them, then looks at Tommy, who looks just as confused.

“I’m gonna talk to Ranboo, I think,” Tommy says, looking at them briefly before turning and approaching Ranboo. Tubbo watches as he drops his axe and talks to Tommy quietly, too quiet for him to make out.

“Should we talk to Niki and Fundy?” Tubbo asks Quackity, who just looks at him, startled.

“Uh... sure.”

Tubbo hops over the river and into the tower, looking at the pair. Fundy is pacing and Niki is sitting on one of the cots; both are obviously frustrated, and turn their angry gazes to him as soon as he enters the doorway.

“Um,” he begins, then takes a deep breath. “I don’t know what’s happening. Don’t really want to, to be honest. But- do you want me to help?”

“No, we’re fine,” Niki laughs, an equal mixture of sarcasm and fury bleeding into her words, making Tubbo wince.

“Okay,” he says quietly, and turns in the doorway, walking back to the campfire and sitting down on a log. Quackity joins him soon after.

“They don’t want our help,” Tubbo explains, kicking his feet against the soft dirt. “I don’t know what to do.”

“It’s something for Ranboo to resolve,” Quackity decides. “Not our business.”

Tubbo hums at his response and looks up. Tommy and Ranboo are coming out of the forest, swords in hand, before they stand on open ground and face each other.

“Are they-” Tubbo begins, just as the pair begin to duel, and Tubbo laughs. “Alright, yeah. Figures Tommy would do that.”

“Do what?” Quackity asks as they watch the two clash.

“Tommy and I would spar whenever we got mad and stuff,” Tubbo explains, kicking out his feet amiably. “Haven’t done it in a bit for- obvious reasons.”

Quackity chuckles, and the two finish their conversation. Tubbo leans forward, paying closer attention to the fight, and laughs quietly when Ranboo kicks Tommy in the chest, knocking him to the ground. He laughs louder when he hears Tommy’s shouts of anger from across the river, but he’s already back on his feet and dancing around Ranboo.

“Did you two play that dirty?” Quackity asks, and Tubbo chuckles.

“Most spars started with sword fighting and ended with wrestling, so yeah, I’d say so. Didn’t know Ranboo was one for that.”

“You kids are all the same,” Quackity says, imitating an old person, and Tubbo giggles, before he looks back at the two.

 _Not quite true,_ he thinks as he realizes the difference in fighting style. Ranboo is graceful with his sword, refined and precise, while Tommy is untamed energy, unpolished, and unpredictable. Despite the differences, there’s little change in ability, and Tubbo’s surprised by it, wondering slightly just where Ranboo had been able to train like that. 

Tubbo’s focus shifts back to Tommy, and a frown grows on his face. He’s pulling tricks on Ranboo he never did in fights with Tubbo. Tommy must have learned new tactics in his exile, but with who Tubbo could only guess.

It didn’t take a genius to know that Tommy was hiding something about his time spent in exile. When he came back to L’manberg, his hair had lost its shine and his eyes were duller, his face riddled with more scars than Tubbo could count. In the last stand of L’manberg, he fought unrecognizably, less like a human and more of an animal, cornered, trapped, fighting for its life, and he had the experience to keep up with Technoblade yesterday, which was most surprising of all.

Tubbo wonders what happened to him, all those months in Logstedshire. Tommy’s never spoken about it, only alluded to it; _“You have no idea what he did to me in Logsted,” and “No one knows what I’m about to tell you,”_ and the fact that Tommy never explained further always left Tubbo guessing, with the only question of _what happened to my best friend?_

Tommy kept things locked away, but for all the things Tommy doesn’t say, Tubbo can still see it. There are scars in Tommy’s mind, scars that run deep. He’s been hurt. Badly. And sometimes, when it’s quiet, Tubbo can almost feel his grief. And even then, despite everything, the fact that he could still lead L’manberg into battle and lose with valor? It was commendable.

Across the river, he watches Tommy roll to the side as Ranboo’s sword comes swinging down and smiles slightly.

“Come on, Tommy,” he hears Ranboo laugh, and their blades meet again. They’ve been sparring for a while now, neither party winning.

“Ranboo!” Tubbo hears Niki call, and Tubbo looks to the side, barely missing Tommy knock the sword out of Ranboo’s grip and hold his own weapon over the other boy, effectively pinning him to the ground.

“I was so close to winning!” Ranboo shouts back at her, and Niki smirks.

“Have you reconsidered?”

Tubbo turns to look at the pair, just as Tommy steps back and offers his hand to Ranboo, pulling him up. Ranboo dusts off his dress slacks and glances back up at Niki, picking up his sword and sending it back into his inventory.

“No,” Ranboo says carefully, crossing the water.

“Reconsider what?” Tommy asks, jumping across the river and crossing his arms, standing next to Tubbo.

“None of your business,” Fundy says just as Ranboo explains, “They want me to join Dry Waters.”

“Not join,” Fundy says, frowning. “Just another place to live.”

“The answer’s no,” Ranboo affirms, and Niki groans.

“Dry Waters? Your secret city?” Tubbo says incredulously, and Fundy nods.

“Can’t we just work together?” Tommy asks, and Niki barks a laugh.

“Oh, we are _not_ working with you.” 

“What is your _problem?”_ Tommy asks, splaying his arms outward. “Why do you hate me?” 

“Why do I- why do I _hate_ you? Tommy, all you do is drag everyone into war after war, and _none_ of us are allowed to heal! I’m sick of it!” she shouts back, putting her hands on her hips as Tommy’s arms fall to his sides.. 

“Not to mention how _selfish_ you are,” Fundy butts in, thrusting a finger at Tommy. “How many times did you put your discs over people’s lives? How many, huh? Too many.”

“Frankly, I think it’s a _good_ thing you finally lost for once!” Niki scoffs, hands leaving her hips and becoming fists at her side.

Tommy is quiet, and as Tubbo watches him his face doesn’t change but for his eyes; dull crystal blue turning into a color resembling a stormy sea, and Tubbo recognizes the implications immediately.

“You should leave,” Tubbo seethes, turning to Niki and Fundy. Fundy snorts, turning away.

“We should never have come here,” Fundy spits. “Come on, Niki.”

“Wait.”

Everyone freezes, turning to look at Tommy, who looks up at Niki, fists clenching and unclenching by his side.

“Finally- finally- lost for _once?”_ Tommy asks, voice distant. “You don’t even know what you’re talking about.” 

“Then tell me,” Niki bites, crossing her arms.

“I have- I have lost so much.”

“You think we haven’t too?”

“I don’t- I- I _know._ Everyone has. But-” he falters, then restarts. “I’m sorry, this is very hard for me,” he explains, taking a deep breath.

“You don’t have to tell them anything, Tommy,” Tubbo says quietly, bumping his shoulder softly, and Tommy looks back at him.

“I want to,” Tommy says, bumping him back. “I don’t- How do I start...” he takes a deep breath, and begins.

“Phil was always off with Techno for his Empire, and sure he loved us, and it wasn’t neglect, not really, but- I had to learn stuff myself. And then I came here, and everything was awful because of Dream and people until- Wilbur, he led us into revolution, and I thought that I could finally just, be happy, y’know? And I- I lost both my chances, I lost both my lives, for this. So of course I cared about L’manberg a lot.

“And then, I didn’t- the election happened, and then- Wilbur lost it, he just lost it, man, and I don’t-” Tommy laughs anxiously, shuffling his feet. “I don’t know what happened, and sometimes I wonder- if it was my fault, y’know? And our time in exile was awful, he just kept- he kept screaming at me, about how no one was on our side and we were completely alone and he just- and then one day, he just dies. And this country that I lost everything for, that doesn’t even want me, it just blows up, ‘cause of him, and I finally think, my best friend is in power, he’s got it under control, surely now is the time I can finally go back and fight for the things I cared about, ‘cause I have a chance at getting something back, and everyone- everyone calls me _selfish._ And I- and I just wanted to be a kid again.” 

“Tommy-” Niki begins, but Tommy interrupts. “I’m not done.”

“Tubbo’s not allowed to be a kid either, and he has to choose between his country and his best friend, otherwise we’re at war again. So I- so I get exiled, and I don’t blame him for that, not anymore. And then Dream- and then- and-” his voice breaks and he holds a fist to his mouth, trying to bite back tears.

“Tommy, I...” Niki says softly, and when Tubbo looks back at her she looks heartbroken. “I’m sorry.”

“Real change of heart, huh?” Tommy laughs, but it’s strangled and broken. “You didn’t have compassion before, you’re not gonna have compassion now.”

Tubbo gaze turns to Fundy, who looks shattered. “We didn’t know, Tommy, we-”

“You talk about a vicious cycle,” Ranboo says, and everyone turns to look at him. “But you don’t try to break out of it. So you just... you keep hurting people. Because you’re getting hurt. Just- just be _kind_ to each other.” 

“We can’t join you,” Niki says with a sigh. “We’ve got our own city. But- we promise we’ll come visit.”

“Okay,” Tubbo whispers, and Niki gives him a sad smile.

“I’m sorry, Tommy,” Fundy says, and Tubbo glances at him. Fundy looks like he wants to say more, but he closes his mouth instead and turns, beginning to walk away.

Instead of joining him, Niki walks forward and offers her arms out in a hug, and Ranboo and Tubbo immediately take it, holding each other. “I can’t undo what I did, but- you guys are strong. Keep being strong.”

“Thank you Niki,” Tubbo mumbles into her shoulder, and he feels her nod against his back before they all pull away, and she turns to join Fundy across the river.

“Was it true?” Tubbo hears Quackity say behind him, and he turns to look at Tommy, who just nods.

“All of it.”

Tubbo immediately jumps forward and pulls Tommy into a hug, and Tommy breaks down, curling over and sobbing into his best friend’s shoulder. Tubbo leans into him, holding him tightly, and the fabric on his shoulder is starting to become wet with Tommy’s tears, but he could care less.

“I just- I-” Tommy starts to say through his sobs, and Tubbo rubs circles on his back. “I don’t know why I had to- why- why do I have to live like this? Why did- why’d Phil- what kind of father lets his children go to war? And- and Wilbur, he was- he was supposed to be there for me, but he just-” Tommy’s voice breaks and he continues crying, face pressed into Tubbo’s shoulder, and Tubbo can feel Ranboo and Quackity join the hug too.

“Hey,” Tubbo mumbles, and Tommy pulls away, wiping the tears off his face. “You don’t have to carry this alone. We can- we’re together again. We do it together. OK?”

“Okay,” Tommy says, a sad smile on his face, and he sniffles again. “I just... I just wish I was good at something other than war.”

Tubbo looks down, breath catching in his throat when he realizes what that implied, before he glances back up at Tommy and offers the warmest smile he can and says, “You’re not alone anymore. And you know- maybe we could finally get a happy ending.”

Tommy laughs miserably, wiping his face again, but the smile on his face means everything to Tubbo. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ayo clone wars quote haha
> 
> hope you enjoyed!


End file.
